One of the most scenic visitor attractions in Northumberland is to close for 18 months for major restoration work.

The closure of the National Trust’s Lindisfarne Castle from November 1 to April 2018 will allow for conservation and protective work costing £3 million to take place.

The project is necessary because of the impact over the years of the elements on the 16th Century castle in its exposed sea-facing location.

The Grade-I listed building attracted 93,000 visitors last year.

The extensive works will focus on tackling penetrating damp, water ingress and restoring stonework, pointing and windows.

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The castle was built in the 1550s using stone from the demolished Lindisfarne Priory.

Edward Hudson, the founder of Country Life magazine, bought and the castle and in 1902 hired architect Sir Edwin Lutyens to refurbish the building.

As part of that project, what had been the castle’s vegetable plot was transformed into a flower garden by famous designer Gertrude Jekyll.

Visitors will still be able to enjoy the garden and the 19th Century lime kilns near the castle, while a visitor shop will also remain open.

Nick Lewis, house steward of Lindisfarne Castle, said: “The spectacular location of Lindisfarne Castle is part of what makes this place special but it also means that it has been ravaged by wind, rain and tides for hundreds of years.

“Investing in this conservation work will mean that we can secure the future of this important building and ensure its survival.

“While it is a very difficult decision to have to close the castle, it is essential in order to complete these works safely and as quickly as possible within the tight spaces of this historic site.

“It is a major attraction on Holy Island and we don’t know what the impact of closure will be, but we have given local businesses good notice.”

Lindisfarne Castle

Visitors to the island will be kept informed of progress on the castle work by a display outside the building.

The National Trust has been carrying out trials and investigation work into the issues facing the building.

Voids were discovered in the walls, allowing water to penetrate, and the project will see packing techniques to tackle the problem and a new pointing exercise will address deteriorating stonework.

The castle’s 108 lead-framed Lutyens windows, which have also been leaking, will be removed and will be made more secure by installing brass bars which will be invisible to the eye.

Perspex panels with ultra violet screens – also almost invisible – will be put into place behind windows to protect the castle’s historic collections from the effects of the sun due to the building’s lofty position.

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After the castle closes at the end of October, the task of moving the 981 historic items housed in the building into storage will begin.

As well as a grant from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, this project is supported by a grant from the Wolfson Foundation and a significant bequest left to National Trust.

The trust had hoped to have the castle open to visitors during project works but during the trails it became clear that the amount of interruption and intervention by contractors would not be compatible with visitors in such a confined space.

Partial opening was considered but it was felt this would only prolong the time needed to complete the work beyond what is reasonable.